By Andy Freedman
After two weeks packed with a really wide range of films, the last few days of the festival continues to offer films and activities for a wide range of tastes.
On Wednesday 15th March The Long Table hosts The King of Kong: a Fistful of Quarters. This is a hilarious looks at the world of 1980s gamers where the world’s nicest man competes with a sleazy super gamer! After the film there’s a chance to play on games machines of that era.
Dangervitch and Neptune’s Party is a night of short films by young artists. The selection on offer includes genres from narrative to underground, mostly by Stroud based film makers, and is at SVA on 17th March.
The same night at the Trinity Rooms, Sacred Water, a documentary from Rwanda about women’s pleasure, has been programmed by Stroud’s Red Hearth group.
The Still Point is screened at the Museum in the Park on Saturday 18th March. Pip Heywood made many television documentaries but has now produced a film which explores the landscape without words, encouraging the audience to appreciate the detail of the natural world.
Later that day at Trinity Rooms, Unreflected Reflections is a project celebrating the Muslim communities in Gloucester and the significance of their contribution which has shaped the spaces, places and culture of the city. Facilitated by the Friendship Café, the event includes film, a photographic exhibition and a Q and A.
A unique double bill is playing in the evening at Lansdown Hall, looking differently at the history of two countries. Black Ark Media have programmed Nosferasta a story about Jamaica’s past with a vampire twist while This is Our Country Too takes a look at Australia from the perspective of the Aboriginal peoples.
Pathways Through Loss on Sunday 19th is directed by Greek director Danai Papadatou. It explores trauma and ways in which communities may be helped to recover. After the film Danai will take questions from the audience directly from Athens alongside contributions from charities The Good Grief Project and Compassionate Communities.
The closing film of the festival is Bunch of Amateurs, the award winning story of one of Britain’s oldest film making groups: ‘The Bradford Movie Makers aim for big projects on small budgets,’ Says Jo Bousfield, one of the festival co-ordinators , ‘This moving and amusing film is followed by a Q and A with the producers and members of the club!’
Alongside the films are workshops at the Museum in the Park aimed at everyone! Flip It on Saturday 18th it is a workshop where people can create their own stories through a series of flick book drawings. Sunday sees two sessions where young people can add sound to moving pictures and explore the art of Foley. Later that day, the Film Poster Design workshop is a drop-in for all the family run by local illustrator Imogen Harvey-Lewis.
Lansdown Film Club, Stroud Film Society, The Electric Picture House, Stroud Valleys Artspace, Allsorts, the Electric Cinema Wotton, Hawkwood, The Long Table and the Sub Rooms are all involved, as well as the Brewery.
More on all the films and how to get involved in the festival is at www.stroudfilmfestival.org
